How To Survive

The Job Automation Apocalypse

SPECIAL REPORT by Activist Post

CONTENTS
Introduction

Careers Safe From Automation & The Robot Takeover

How to Make Money Now Without A Traditional Job

Off-Grid Financial Plan: From Zero To Millions

8 Legal Strategies To Avoid Taxes

Introduction
In the past, you could survive as long as you weren't the slowest
gazelle. Today, you can run in the middle of the pack and still survive.
But, tomorrow, you must be fast and agile to survive.

Automation is happening at breakneck speed. It has already replaced

countless jobs and many more fall in its immediate path. But it is also
providing new opportunities if you're smart enough to take advantage
of them.

Is your career safe from automation? Are you pushing your kids
toward soon-to-be obsolete occupations? What jobs will survive?
What can you do to make money without a traditional job? How can
you protect your hard-earned savings in uncertain times? This report
aims to answer these questions and more.

Despite sensational headlines and opportunistic politicking regarding

the threat automation poses to socioeconomic stability, with a fully
informed, properly educated population, more opportunities than
threats lie ahead of us in the near future.

Automation has been happening since the Industrial Revolution

replaced human jobs with machines. As technology advances and
automation evolves, the socioeconomic landscape of human
civilization has evolved with it.

For instance, the Industrial Revolution disrupted centuries of

multidisciplinary crafts and trades where a cottage industry consisting
of individuals or small groups of people carried out the entire process
of production. The best technology merges information with the
physical world for a more efficient outcome.

Technology is merging with information in areas like 3D design and

personal manufacturing, content creation and publishing, business
administration, networking, marketing, local food production,
education and much more. Each of these areas offer a broad scope of
careers. And the Internet and task-sharing apps are enabling a host of
ways for self-employed people to make a full-time living without a
traditional job.

Humans have needs and desires that can only be fulfilled by other
humans. These include entertainment, gossip (news and opinion),
experiences, art, sports, fine dining, music, debate, companionship,
mentorship, fashion, beauty, health, etc.

Once you identify a sustainable occupation that suits your skills,

talents and needs, learning to save money and invest your nest egg
safely is essential to securing you and your family during uncertain
economic times. That includes protecting your hard-earned money
from the Taxman.

You and the people you care about need to learn to survive outside
the current system because you don't want to be dependent on it
when it collapses. This report is a good start. If you want more
information like this, join Counter Markets.
What Careers Are Safe From Automation
And The Robot Takeover?

Dire warnings about an impending robot takeover of human jobs con-

tinue to multiply across the mediascape. Some of it reads like bad sci-
ence fiction, but there are demonstrable indicators that highlight how
automation already has rendered human labor a more costly, less-effi-
cient means of production in a number of sectors.

In the graphic below we can see the effect this already is having on
factory workers.
The world’s largest electronics manufacturer, Foxconn, has gone so
far as to develop a three-phase plan for near-total conversion of its
massive human workforce to Foxbots.

The rise of autonomous vehicles and drones are set to render nearly
all drivers and delivery personnel obsolete, while robot security
guards, police bots, robotic bartenders, cooks, agricultural robots, and
even robot infantry are slated to push all of these frontline occupations
into obscurity.

However, when we speak about automation, it is more than the re-

placement of physical tasks. Artificial intelligence enables the automa-
tion of non-physical lines of work as well.

You will see in the next graph that one of the top risks has nothing to
do with physical labor, but appears in the insurance sector.
Many people who are currently in middle management positions or
jobs that require a high level of education might believe that they will
be impervious to replacement, but it would be unwise to look at the
current trend of replacing predominantly low-skill, low-paying jobs and
conclude that it will not expand up the ladder.

Jobs all across the business and finance landscape will be heavily af-
fected in the manner of insurance underwriters: book keepers, ac-
countants, auditors, loan officers, tellers, clerks, and postal service
workers will easily be replaced by artificial intelligence. The legal pro-
fession is another highly populated sector that will have a difficult time
as the need for secretaries, paralegals and court reporters will decline.

And if experts are correct in their projections, the very top business
leaders might not be immune either. Jack Ma from Alibaba, recently
said that CEOs themselves could be on the chopping block, going so
far as to predict that "In 30 years, a robot will likely be on the cover of
Time Magazine as the best CEO." Ma paints a bleak picture of what
the three transitional decades could look like for those who are “un-
prepared for the upheaval technology is set to bring.” Ma believes that
we still have 5-10 years before we reach the most critical levels of un-
employment created by automation.

The following two charts illustrate the massive impact that this “Fourth
Industrial Revolution” is expected to have in both the developing and
developed world as the conversion to robots and artificial intelligence
accelerates across the planet.

Images are from Futurism

Naturally, governments around the world are heeding a potential
worst-case scenario and are devising their own solutions, one of
which is the revival of the idea to have a Universal Basic Income that
will guarantee some nominal payment for one’s existence. As with
nearly all government solutions, this one very well could wind up cre-
ating a cascade of more problems in its wake. It also further dimin-
ishes the role of human ambition and independence, while assigning
some sort of baseline value for human life.

Some manufacturing companies are trying to maintain a human work-

force through the introduction of physical and mental enhancements.
Perhaps this could be a valid stop-gap measure to minimize an adver-
sarial relationship to automation, and instead seek a collaborative
one. However, it remains to be seen how people will embrace what
could be perceived as the first step toward becoming a cyborg. These
augmented workers are being referred to as Operator 4.0 and would
possess the following characteristics

Super Strong – In factories, warehouses and on construction sites,

workers outfitted with exoskeletons could offer more flexibility while
enjoying enhanced strength to perform current tasks that are a severe
risk to worker health.

Super Informed – Utilizing smart glasses, for example, workers can be

given information at a much faster rate, thus avoiding research down-
time, lengthy training sessions, and time-consuming group strategy
and design meetings. Real-time communication between employers
and workers on and off site will enable unprecedented collaboration
and efficiency.

It would be wise to read these signposts as they now stand and begin
as soon as possible to evaluate the best ways to use technology to
our benefit – or sidestep it if need be – so that we don’t find ourselves
outsourced, turned into cyborgs, or left purely to the mercy of govern-
ment intervention.

We first need to identify what makes us uniquely human so that we

can survive a career takeover and best position ourselves to finan-
cially thrive on the other side this revolution in technology.

An excellent resource is available which evaluates the percentage

chance of your job being outsourced to robots and artificial intelli-
gence. More so than the specific jobs themselves, which you can in-
put and obtain the results of here, along with the full 72-page free re-
port, one should notice the general human elements that appear
across seemingly disparate occupations. It is these qualities that will
be nearly impossible to duplicate and are reflected in the jobs with the
lowest percentage chance of being outsourced.
Critical reasoning

The ability to conceptualize, design and interpret a complex array of

information often goes beyond merely having a type of database
knowledge that computers possess. This could be viewed as the
“why” something needs to be done, rather than the “how.” Moreover,
critical reasoning is the path to identifying problems (sometimes po-
tential problems) and overcoming them with “outside the box” solu-
tions. Any of the professions in engineering, analysis, and architecture
possess this much-needed quality. Moreover, these are the essential
components of how businesses are built, thereby introducing the need
for negotiation, another ability where humans will excel for the fore-
seeable future.

Intuition

Perhaps the best illustration of this quality is police work. Much has
been made of robot police and security bots. While these already are
being utilized for surveillance, patrol, and rescue operations, when it
comes to real-world patrolling and criminal investigation, there is no
substitute for the type of human intuition that is often called a “hunch.”
It also appears in any profession that relies on diagnosis which, again,
is many times a combination of raw data and context that relies on ex-
periential knowledge as a human being. This quality serves to natu-
rally enhance critical reasoning and enables the type of thinking that
most entrepreneurs possess – the feeling that there is a need for
something previously not considered, and the willingness to take risks
that sometimes go against what computer-type modeling would sug-
gest.

Creativity

Artists, writers, and entertainers might first come to mind as naturally

creative people, but the creative ability of humans is a subtlety that
appears in nearly all walks of life and leads directly to innovation in
large and small ways. Even in its purest form, artificial intelligence has
difficulty creating art. Here is what happened in a recent study where
A.I. was given the task to evaluate children’s art and produce some-
thing new. It “created” something that no child would find amusing; in
fact, disturbing and terrifying would be a better description, as seen in
each of the images on the right:

This highlights the vast disparity between how a computer sees infor-
mation and how a human being sees it.

Social Skills

Although scientists are claiming progress in creating “social” and

“emotional” humanoid robots that can become caregivers, teachers,
mentors, and companions, most studies suggest an inherent irony that
the more lifelike a robot becomes, the more “creepy” it feels to interact
with one. Whether or not this barrier can be overcome through expo-
sure remains to be seen, but jobs as seemingly unconnected as public
relations, nursing, guidance counselors, motivational speakers, thera-
pists and funeral directors are likely to thrive.

The complexities of human emotion are barely understood by other

humans – including self-understanding. We seek connections with
other people who can give insights that help us grow and become not
only better at what we do, but become better at who we are. We build
relationships at home and in the workplace that incorporate the opin-
ions and experiences of others. We look to artists, athletes and enter-
tainers to be inspired by their performances, not only to catalogue
their achievements. We seek knowledge not only to inform us about
how to do something, but to increase our understanding of why it is
important to learn. These are the human intangibles and depth that
make designing a dominant A.I. that can entirely replace human em-
ployment exceedingly difficult.

List of Careers Safe From Automation:

Critical Reasoning
• Engineering (software, hardware, electrical, civil)
• Data hypothesis, analysis and architecture
• Decision-making and management
• Home improvement and renovation (handyman, plumbers,
roofers, painters, electricians, landscaping, etc.)
• Mechanics of all types
• Beauticians

Intuitive
• Police and security
• Arbitrators (litigators, judges, diplomats)
• In-person sales (financial products, real estate, vehicles, B2B
machines)
• Counselors

Creative
• Fiction & opinion writers
• Artists of all types
• Photographers & videographers
• Entertainers (actors, musicians, dancers, athletes)
• Content editors and support staff
• Chefs (high level)

Social Skills (Emotional Intelligence)

• Caregivers (nurses, nurse aides, companions)
 • Public relations
• Tour and experience guides
• Therapists and psychologists
• Coaches, mentors and tutors
• Motivational speakers
• Funeral directors

We should seek to stay flexible, stay creative, and build our emotional
intelligence as equally as our intellectual intelligence and our skills.
The better humans we can become, the safer we’ll ultimately be from
any type of automation that seeks to copy and replace us.
How To Make Money Now Without A Tradi-
tional Job

Although the overall economy appears to be gathering storm clouds, it

has never been easier to make money as an entrepreneur or free-
lancer. There are countless tools and resources to aid your success.
In fact, the opportunities are so vast, it can be difficult to know where
to begin.

Noting the difference between an entrepreneur and a freelancer is a

good place to start. An entrepreneur is someone who builds a busi-
ness around solving a problem or filling a gap in the marketplace. A
freelancer is a self-employed contractor who rents out their knowl-
edge, skills, creativity and labor to customers in need. For instance, a
restaurant owner is an entrepreneur and the Uber Eats driver that de-
livers their food is a freelancer. Typically, an entrepreneur has more
risk and more reward while the freelancer has less reward but more
freedom.

Next, deciding what industry to work in and what product or service to

offer can be a challenge. I'm a big believer in the “follow your passion”
school of thought. Life is short. It sucks to be spending time doing
something you don't care about. I can't prove it, but I bet it's bad for
your health, too. What's more, it doesn't feel like work when you're
passionate about it. It just feels like living, truly living. Make play your
work.

Turn Your Passion Into Income

We live in amazing times. The Internet and other technology empow-

ers anyone to profit from any niche. Concentrating on your passions
gives you an edge because you already participate in those markets
and you're likely aware of the biggest influencers, blogs, YouTube
channels, and product brands in that space. This unique awareness
allows you to discover the under-served needs of the community.

Don't know what you're passionate about?

What are your hobbies? What do you do when you're not working?
What do you love to learn about? What change do you want to see in
the world? If you had all the money you needed, what would you work
on?

Once your passion is identified, finding a way to make money from it is

not complicated, but it does require hard work and dedication. Re-
member the wise words in the Richest Man in Babylon, “Wealth grows
wherever men exert energy.”

Passion projects can begin as a side hustle in your free time. Or free-
lancers have the opportunity to make a full-time income right away
with the aid of apps that connect you with customers. It all depends on
how you decide to make money in your industry.
Product, Service or Content?

Picking the right product or service in your niche can be a challenge. I

struggle with it every day. We live in an age where there seems to be
more choices for new entrepreneurs than merely “products and ser-
vices.” In fact, would say there are more like 3 broad categories to
choose from:

1. Products – Selling physical or digital products

2. Services – Contracting your talent and labor

3. Content – Creating information, entertainment, or art.

In the past, a single individual required a larger organization to help

create anything in the categories above. Today, tools exist for you to
make money in practically any field. Incidentally, the training you will
need to be successful is also readily available online. Traditional col-
lege is fatally obsolete, but that's for a different article.

Make a list of all the products, services, training courses, apps, tools,
events and content in your niche. What's missing? What complaints
do you have about the existing offers? How can you improve them?

Developing a new product or business requires time and money up-

front but it's something that can scale quickly and make you very
wealthy. But, as an entrepreneur, you also face the risk of losing that
investment if it doesn't work out; whereas a freelance service provider
and content creators can begin immediately, but they're usually only
scaleable to your available work hours and level of expertise.

We are in the content business, which makes this report you're read-
ing a “product.” Yet content creators can be both entrepreneur or free-
lancer, product or service. And, sometimes, content creators merely
generate leads for other products and services.
For example, Infowars is actually a supplement business that uses
media (content) as a lead generator.

Similarly, CNN makes content to help sell Viagra and weapons of war.
Because of tools like WordPress and YouTube, anyone can create
content and build an audience, but you still need something to pro-
mote. This is especially important as ad networks continue to de-mon-
etize certain content.
Oftentimes you don't need to invent something new. Many products or
services that you love will have affiliate programs that pay a commis-
sion on referrals. You can develop ways to promote and sell those.
Now let's explore the best opportunities to make money in 2017 with-
out a traditional job.

Creating and Selling Products

My oldest son recently got his driver's license. As a homeschooling
parent who despises real jobs, I helped him start a business to earn
enough to buy himself a car (and to teach him new skills).

After researching potential business ideas to accomplish this feat, we

decided to develop a private-label product and sell it using Amazon
FBA. We followed simple step-by-step instructions from experts. Be-
cause of that we were able to launch on Amazon in less than a month.
Within 120 days, my son earned enough buy a nice Jeep Cherokee
Sport and pay for a world-schooling trip to Machu Picchu, Peru. And it
only took that long because we ran out of inventory quickly and were
out of stock for several weeks.

This strategy is making new millionaires every day, but it has some
challenges like choosing the right product and it requires some capital
to get started. It has also become more competitive. Yet opportunities
still exist to create successful brands in every industry.

Below are the basic steps we followed with links to the resources we
used:

Amazon FBA

Amazon is the 3rd most visited website in the United States and they
have around half-a-billion credit cards on file ready for one-click pur-
chasing worldwide. If you sell physical or digital products, you must
use Amazon.

The FBA program allows you to send physical products to Amazon's

warehouses for them to handle sales, processing, delivery, returns
and customer service. Three strategies people are using to make
money on Amazon are retail arbitrage, private-label products, and cus-
tom products. The first month of FBA is free and then it's $40 per
month. Plus, Amazon takes a commission and pick-and-pack fees
when you sell something. Here's a good quick-start guide to Amazon
FBA and an excellent podcast about the process.

Steps to launching a private-label product on Amazon:

1. Choose a product that you'll love bragging about

2. Find a good supplier (Alibaba)

3. Order samples and make your changes and improvements

4. Make logo for private label (Fiverr) and get a UPC (Simply Bar-
codes)

5. Arrange shipping to US and Amazon (Deringer)

6. Create Amazon listing with awesome photos (Fiverr - see below)

7. Get product reviews (friends and family)

8. Launch promotions and giveaways (Tomoson)

9. Run Amazon Pay-Per-Click Ads

10. Set up systems for customer feedback (Salesbacker)

11. Develop sales channels outside of Amazon (Shopify, Jet, eBay)

You can also successfully launch “digital” products on Amazon, includ-

ing books, special reports, movies, music and more, although there
are many more channels for making money from digital content.

Service, Freelancers and the App Economy

If there is a way for you to provide value to others, there's probably an
app to connect you to customers. Most focus on basic tasks where
you can get experience and begin to sharpen some valuable skills.
And if you apply yourself and develop a good reputation in these net-
works, you can make a comfortable living. To do that, you must treat
these apps like a real job or business; work 8-10 hours per day, give
good customer service, and reinvest some profits to improve your
skills and efficiency.

Here are some of the best freelance apps with entry-level opportuni-
ties:

Computer Skills
As you read in the project above, we hired two different freelancers on
Fiverr for graphic design and photo editing. I've also hired software de-
velopers, writers, coloring book artists, voice performers, and video
editors on Fiverr. In fact, thousands of people make a full-time living
on Fiverr and it gives them location independence (they can work from
anywhere in the world). Read some Fiverr success stories of six-figure
incomes with pro tips at this Forbes article. Also check out this podcast
to learn more. Another top site for designers, coders, developers and
any content contractor is Freelancer.com. Don't have any of these
skills? Learn them with video courses at places like Lynda and Udemy.
You can also use these skills to build your own products like websites,
apps, software as a service (SaaS), and content.

Animal Care

Say you love dogs. They're your passion and you'd like to make
money working with them. If you don't have the patience or money to
create a product for dogs, offering a service is your fastest path to an
income. Get paid to be a dog walker or sitter with apps like Rover,
Wag Walking, and DogVacay. Register on all three and crush it. There
are also countless product ideas for pets, including digital items like
dog food cookbooks, training videos, etc.
Driving
Driving for Uber or Lyft is the most popular service in the app econ-
omy. However, there is a plethora of other driving services like
UberEats and delivery. If you have a truck, you can use apps like
Dolly to connect with customers who are moving, who need furniture
and appliances delivered, or have junk to be hauled away.

General Help

Apps like TaskRabbit and NextDoor are services that connect neigh-
bors to each other in an informal market place. TaskRabbit is de-
scribed as an online and mobile marketplace that matches freelance
labor with local demand, allowing consumers to find immediate help
with everyday tasks, including cleaning, moving, delivery and handy-
man work. NextDoor is a private social network for your neighborhood
that is less formal but is great for babysitters. More skilled contractors
like builders, plumbers and electricians can use Angie's List to expand
their reach.

Culinary

Are you a chef or someone who loves to cook but hates the long hours
and stress of running a brick-and-mortar restaurant? Now you can
make a living as a private chef on your own schedule with apps like
EatWith, Feastly, ChefXChange, Meal Sharing, and more.

Techs & Mechanics

Other interesting app network opportunities include helping people set

up podcast and video equipment or fix their computer with HelloTech;
or to become a mechanic who does house calls using Wrench.

Content Creators
Not long ago creators had to find a large company to work for in order
to get paid to produce content. Because of that it was difficult to break
into the fields of journalism, photography, movie making, music, radio
broadcasting, and book publishing. Today anyone can create awe-
some content and monetize it. Even my 9-year-old has a YouTube
channel, though we had to lie about his age to set it up ;)

In order to make money, you must be deliberate about the purpose

and delivery of your content. In other words, focus on your niche and
building on the primary platforms you publish your content. Inciden-
tally, even if you make content as a freelancer for other people or or-
ganizations, you should also build your own audience of fans.

Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired magazine and former editor of

the Whole Earth Review, wrote an article explaining how you can be
successful if you have “1000 True Fans.”

He writes:

To be a successful creator you don’t need millions. You don’t

need millions of dollars or millions of customers, millions of
clients or millions of fans. To make a living as a craftsperson,
photographer, musician, designer, author, animator, app maker,
entrepreneur, or inventor you need only thousands of true fans.

A true fan is defined as a fan that will buy anything you produce.
These diehard fans will drive 200 miles to see you sing; they will
buy the hardback and paperback and audible versions of your
book; they will purchase your next figurine sight unseen; they will
pay for the “best-of” DVD version of your free youtube channel;
they will come to your chef’s table once a month. If you have
roughly a thousand of true fans like this (also known as super
fans), you can make a living — if you are content to make a living
but not a fortune.

Here’s how the math works. You need to meet two criteria. First,
you have to create enough each year that you can earn, on aver-
 age, $100 profit from each true fan. That is easier to do in some
arts and businesses than others, but it is a good creative chal-
lenge in every area because it is always easier and better to give
your existing customers more, than it is to find new fans.

Second, you must have a direct relationship with your fans. That
is, they must pay you directly. You get to keep all of their support,
unlike the small percent of their fees you might get from a music
label, publisher, studio, retailer, or other intermediate. If you keep
the full $100 of each true fan, then you need only 1,000 of them
to earn $100,000 per year. That’s a living for most folks.

As mentioned earlier, content or media is usually a lead generator for

other products and services. Consider how you can package your
work into products for your true fans. It could be swag like hats, shirts,
stickers, signed books, photos, or prints. Look around at what others
are doing in your space and mirror what they're doing with your unique
flare.

Sound intimidating? Let's examine some core categories of content

production and the basic steps and tools available to be successful.

Journalism

Do you want to be an investigative reporter, opinion writer, author,

newsletter editor, or a blogger? There's nothing stopping you. It's sim-
ple to set up your own site on Blogger or with Wordpress, set up a Pa-
treon and start writing. Or write on Steemit and get paid in cryptocur-
rency. After that, the most essential tool is an email list manager like
MailChimp. That's what you use to build and manage your thousand
true fans. It's a list you control, unlike at Twitter, Facebook and Insta-
gram (which are also important to set up and maintain). To get more
exposure, offer to write for larger websites in your niche. They're al-
ways looking for quality original content. You can also easily self-pub-
lish newsletters, ebooks or full-length manuscripts as PDFs or through
Kindle Direct Publishing.
Photography

Do you love taking pictures? You're probably already sharing them on

social media, especially photo-focused platforms like Pinterest, Insta-
gram and Snapchat. Those are great places to build an audience, but
if you want to monetize your photos check out SmugMug, Foap, Foto-
lio and PhotoShelter. Follow the steps in the previous section to host
your own portfolio site and build your email list. Offer websites the use
of free images if they include attribution and links to your work.

Video

Video is the most powerful form of content. Learning skills around pro-
ducing quality movies is highly valuable. Whether you are interested in
becoming a vlogger or an animator, you can find training and software
to help you be successful. Programs to edit video like Adobe Premier
Pro, Final Cut Pro (Apple), or Filmora have extensive tutorials on
YouTube. Animation software like Maya, Adobe Edge and Blender is
making it easier to produce high-quality animation. Once you have
some basic skills with these programs, you can offer your services on
Fiverr and Freelancer to get some experience or work on your own
projects for YouTube, Amazon, or other venues.

Music and Audio

Remember when people listened to terrestrial radio? LOL! Back in

those days there were many gatekeepers to get your music or voice
“on air.” Today, all you need is a decent microphone and some free
software like Audacity or GarageBand and your podcast is off and
rolling. It's easy to host your finished files at Libsyn and SoundCloud
or a plugin for your blog, and point the feed to iTunes, Stitcher, and
Google Play. Start your own show or album and promote the heck out
of it, or use your skills to help others produce awesome audio.

It can seem overwhelming when you're first starting out, but you're as
smart and as capable as anyone who has mastered these skills. If you
dedicate yourself to one of these paths, I bet you'll be surprised by
how much money you can make in a short period of time.
Off-Grid Financial Plan: From Zero To
Millions

There are three unique skills to mastering money: making money,

saving money and investing money. Unfortunately, our pathetic
government schools don't teach any of these vital skills. We must
learn them on our own.

After committing to saving money, deciding how to protect and grow it

becomes a challenge, especially if we don't want exposure to rigged
system on Wall Street.

Saving Money

Anyone with an income can grow wealth. It doesn't matter how much
money you make, you can grow wealth if you commit to saving a
small portion of your income and putting those funds to work for you. It
starts with a savings plan and the discipline to defer gratification into
the future.

One book can dramatically help you acquire the right mindset to
become a more disciplined saver. It's filled with timeless wisdom and
practical advice.

The book recommendation is The Richest Man in Babylon.

The story is told through a parable about a poor laborer's journey to

become the richest man in ancient Babylon. He refined the lessons
learned from his mentor to build his 5 laws for growing gold (wealth)
for his children.

5 Laws of Gold:

1. Gold cometh gladly and in increasing quantity to any man who

will put by not less than one-tenth of his earnings to create an
estate for his future and that of his family. (Save 10% of all you
earn.)
 2. Gold laboreth diligently and contentedly for the wise owner
who finds for it profitable employment, multiplying even as the
flocks of the field. (Invest your savings so your money works for
you.)

3. Gold clingeth to the protection of the cautious owner who

invests it under the advice of men wise in its handling. (Don't
trust your savings with amateurs.)

4. Gold slippeth away from the man who invests it in businesses

or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not
approved by those who are skilled in its keep. (Don't invest in
things you don't understand.)

5. Gold flees the man who would force it to impossible earnings

or who followeth the alluring advice of tricksters and schemers or
who trusts it to his own inexperience and romantic desires in
investment. (Be patient. Don't be greedy. Safe investments with
steady rates.)

The Laws of Gold are just a small taste of this book, but the real value
is in the stories. It's good to re-listen to it on Audible a couple of times
a year for inspiration.

Off-Grid Investments: Zero to Millions

Once you have sufficient motivation to begin saving and investing, it's
difficult to know where to begin storing your abundance. Much of it
depends on what your goals are.

Are you trying to prepare for disasters? Are you seeking to create
lifestyle independence? Are you looking to retire comfortably? Or do
you want to become filthy rich?

If you're anything like me, to a certain extent you want to achieve all of
that. However, it can feel overwhelming, especially when you're in
debt and have limited savings each month. With that in mind, the
schedule below starts from zero, assumes some debt, and provides a
path to create wealth.

Investing your first $10,000 of savings is not very complicated. Most of

those funds will remain immediately available to you for emergencies
like losing a job, getting injured, or a wider financial collapse. After that
it becomes more important to be strategic about protecting your
money and putting it to work for you.

Here is a suggested financial plan that will secure you from potential
disasters and begin to grow your wealth outside of Wall Street and
help avoid the tax mafia.

1. Food Pantry

Before investing in anything else, make sure your pantry has at least 2
months of stores. As understood from Maslow's “hierarchy of needs,”
physical survival is a primary concern. Buy only what you eat. You
don't need fancy long-term freeze-dried meals. Cost will vary based
on tastes and the size of your family, but you may need to invest
around $500-$1500 to build up your pantry.

2. Cash in the Cookie Jar

Next, keep around $1500 as cash in your possession as short-term

savings for emergencies like your car breaking down. Or use this
money for surprise opportunities like when that lawn tractor you've
been wanting is on Craigslist for much less than the retail cost. Having
cash on hand allows you to act quickly when tasty deals present
themselves, but be sure to always replenish the cookie jar.

3. Bank Savings

Beyond the cookie jar, it's smart to build up at least 3 months of

minimal living expenses in your bank account. This amount of mid-
term savings can get you through nearly any emergency situation
without having to seek help from others. If you got injured or lost a job,
3 months of reserves for rent/mortgage and utilities, plus your two
months of food gives you plenty of runway to recover.

4. Pay Down Bad Debt

Bad debt includes your credit cards, car loans and even student loans.
If your goal is independence, these costs can weigh you down
tremendously. As a general rule, the debt with the highest interest
should be paid down the fastest. What good is making 5% gain on
your savings if your credit card charges 8% on your balance? Pay
them off.

5. Precious Metals
No list of off-grid investments is complete without including precious
metals. Historically, metals like gold and silver have performed well for
wealth assurance. They assure your wealth is protected when
governments inflate their currencies (which they all do). Get physical
silver and gold delivered safely to your house using our recommended
vendor.

6. Self-Development

Whether you work a traditional job or are self-employed, investing in

your knowledge and skills is perhaps the most valuable thing you can
do with your savings - thanks for your readership ;). Further,
experience and skills are the only form of wealth that cannot be taken
from you. Even if you lost everything else, this investment allows you
to rebuild to your previous status much faster than before. This
doesn’t mean take out loans and go back to college. Learn by doing.

7. Equipment for Independence

Invest in tools and equipment that add independence to your life.

These could be a solar power system for your home, capital
equipment for your business or farm, guns and ammunition, rainwater
collection and whole-house water filters, brewing or fermenting gear,
or anything else that gives you more self-reliance. This equipment
pays for itself over time.

8. Life Insurance

I know life insurance sounds boring, but that's because most people
don't understand their options. Life insurance is exempt from most
banking regulation and reporting to government. It's a private contract
between you and the insurance company where the value of your
policy grows tax free. You can borrow the cash value of your policy at
any time for any reason, thus acting like your own bank. The powerful
vehicle used by the ultra-rich to secure their wealth is called a
dividend-paying whole life insurance policy. The full benefits of these
policies are brilliantly illustrated in the highly-recommended book
Becoming Your Own Banker by Nelson Nash. To start a policy like
this, contact MC Laubscher of Valhalla Wealth.

9. Max Out HSA

Start and fully fund a Health Savings Account (HSA). The maximum
you can contribute in 2017 is $3,400 ($6,750 for a family). HSAs are
"triple tax-free": You put pre-tax money in it, the earnings compound
tax-free, and you can withdraw money without paying taxes as long as
it's used for medical costs. Most family health insurance policies have
yearly deductibles of $5000 or more, so HSAs offer you a way to
cover those expenses tax free.

And, unlike health insurance, if you don't use it this year, you get to
keep the money and the account will continue to grow. It's okay to use
the money for other expenses, too, but then it's taxed as income for
that given year. I expect HSAs to be expanded in the future due to the
disastrous health insurance situation in the US. GREAT for self-
employed people!

10. Convert 30 into 15

When your abundance is swelling and you're seeking more places to
earn a safe return, it's a good time to consider refinancing out of your
30-year mortgage into a 15-year mortgage. This has many
advantages. Your interest rate will be lower and, obviously, it will be
paid off faster. Storing extra funds into your personal property
achieves independence and can yield an excellent return when
considering the saved interest plus property appreciation.

11. Digital Assets

Hopefully, you already own some bitcoin and other digital assets
before this point in this investment schedule. However, this may be a
good time to double down on your experimental investment into
cryptos and increase your holdings. They're off-grid, highly liquid, and
one of them will take over the world. Probably Bitcoin. Get your first
bitcoin, litecoin or ether here.

12. Collectibles
High-end collectibles are a fun way to store value off-grid and pass
generational wealth to your heirs without the taxman being any wiser.
Some collectibles to consider are fine art, antiques, automobiles,
coins or stamps, rare books, music instruments, wine, etc. It's best to
stick to a niche that interests you and that you have knowledge about.
Keep in mind that collectibles are not as liquid as other assets. Plan
on them being very long-term holdings.

13. Personal Pension

In his excellent financial books, Tony Robbins recommends one

financial product above all others: a deferred annuity. Simply put, a
deferred annuity is like having your own personal pension plan (or
private social security) that can give you an income for life at
retirement.

Annuities work like this: You pay into the annuity account, it has
guaranteed returns, grows tax-deferred; and, when you're ready to
retire, the balance continues to gain interest while it pays you a
monthly income. The biggest advantages annuities offer is that they
allow you to put away a larger amount of cash and defer paying taxes.
Unlike other tax-deferred retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs,
there is no yearly contribution limit for an annuity.

14. Local Real Estate

When your personal 15-year mortgage is nearly paid off, it's time to
refinance your home again and use those proceeds to buy more local
real estate. These can be rental homes, apartment buildings, or prime
commercial real estate. Because the aim is independence, it might
seem counterproductive to add a new mortgage to your property right
when it is nearly paid off. However, the interest paid on the mortgage
is tax deductible as well as the depreciation and local taxes on the
new property.

Congratulations! If you made it all the way through this list, your net
worth is likely in the millions with very little exposure to Wall Street or
the IRS.

8 Legal Strategies To Avoid Paying Taxes

The old maxim that the two great inescapable realities are death and
taxes should come as an affront to the liberty minded. The mandatory
payment of taxes is as unnatural as death is natural, and is a human
construct that is a historically recent phenomenon.

The concept of raising tax revenue in the United States began with the
Civil War when a 3-5% tax bracket was established to fund the effort.
It was a temporary measure that set an expiration date 10 years later.
All told, 10% of households were exposed to some form of taxation.

The subsequent interrelationship between the Federal Reserve and

the Internal Revenue Service that occurred decades later in 1913 cre-
ated a permanent mandatory taxation that has only escalated its de-
mands since, and has given rise to the “death and taxes” we’ve come
to accept for merely being born inside the United States. It is a docu-
mented conspiracy that is outside the scope of this article, but justly
should be taught to every American child. For that essential textbook, I
refer you to G. Edward Griffin’s Creature From Jekyll Island.
The sheer scope of the conspiracy, and the fact that most people be-
lieve that paying taxes is now synonymous with “being a good citizen,”
highlights the dangers of taking the ultimate stand of complete tax
non-compliance. While the moral argument is strong in refusing to
fund war, torture, surveillance, and the myriad inefficiencies of the
State, the legalities for doing so have yet to be reversed.

Until that time when Voluntaryism becomes the law of the land, it be-
hooves us to look at the various methods for reducing our exposure to
taxes and thus better enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Disclaimer: It’s important, of course, to always seek expert advice be-

fore filing your tax return. The 74,000-page tax code is only growing
and contains a minefield of ways to cause you harm.

Counter Economics and Self Sufficiency

An excellent starting point for tax reduction is either to avoid getting on

the grid to begin with, or removing yourself from the grid in every way
possible. While it’s nearly impossible for anyone with a Social Security
Number not to have a tax target on their back, non-traditional forms of
employment and exchange can help promote freedom in even the
smallest of ways.

Central to embarking on this path is to understand the concepts sur-

rounding counter economies, or what is often referred to as Agorism.

An essential lecture on the topic is available here from one of the lead-
ing voices in Agorism, Derrick Broze, as he covers the philosophies
and strategies of “vertical” and “horizontal” Agorism. Derrick covers the
foundation for this lifestyle that can be rooted in barter, sharing net-
works, payments via cryptocurrencies and precious metals, farming
co-ops, community gardens and other means of extreme localism that
are perfectly legal as a means of conducting business in most areas.
Engaging in self-sufficient activities like making your own hard apple
cider or mead avoids the obscene sin taxes on alcohol.
Additionally, by joining the ranks of the self-employed, other benefits
are conferred such as ease of filing under sole proprietorship, paying
your children to work in your business which carries a lower tax rate,
home office deductions, charitable contributions can become business
expenses, as well as more flexible retirement contributions.

By applying any or all of these techniques, you can take a frontline ap-
proach to avoiding excessive taxation not only at the federal level, but
at your local level as well.

Marriage and Children

Certainly, one of the more natural ways that people can limit their tax
exposure is by getting married and having children. There are several
considerations beyond the emotional connection, however, that should
be highlighted to help maximize the financial benefits.

The timing of a marriage can have an early impact on taxes depending

on the situation, according to Kiplinger. It may be best, for example to
avoid getting married late in the year and, instead, wait until the begin-
ning of the next.

When children arrive, here are some ways that Kiplinger highlights for
a couple to best utilize the savings afforded to them by knowing the
tax code. Full details are available on their site here.

Pay child care bills with pre-tax dollars: If you use a child-care reim-
bursement account at work to pay those bills, you get to use pre-tax
dollars. That can save you one-third or more of the cost, since you
avoid both income and Social Security taxes. If your boss offers such
a plan, take advantage of it.

Dependency exemptions: This applies to adopted children as well. An

added exemption will knock nearly $4,000 off your taxable income,
and you'll probably qualify for the $1,000 child credit, too. Extra with-
holding allowances filed with your employer will also cut tax withhold-
ing from your paycheck, increasing your take-home pay. Thousands of
dollars of expenses incurred in connection with adopting a child can
be recouped via a tax credit. The credit can be as high as $13,190. If
you adopt a special needs child, you get the maximum credit even if
you spend less.

Properly structure tuition costs and college savings: Coverdell Savings

Accounts allow parents and grandparents to use tax-free dollars to
pay private-school tuition and other education-related costs for ele-
mentary and high-school students. You don't get a deduction, but
money you stash in a Coverdell grows tax-deferred and can be with-
drawn tax-free to pay education bills. Beyond tuition and fees, you can
use Coverdell money to pay for tutoring, books and supplies, uniforms
and transportation. You can buy a computer for the whole family to use
and pay for Internet access, too. Using a state-sponsored 529 college
savings plan can make earnings completely tax free and lets you keep
control over the money. If one child decides not to go to college, you
can switch the account to another child or take it back. Also use a
Roth IRA as a tax-deferred savings plan for college. Savings bonds
can also be used to avoid tax on the interest when paying for college
tuition.

Hire your children. If you have an unincorporated business, hiring your

children can have real tax advantages. You can deduct what you pay
them, thus shifting income from your tax bracket to theirs. Since
wages are earned income, the "kiddie tax" does not apply. And, if the
child is under age 18, he or she does not have to pay Social Security
tax on the earnings. One more advantage: the earnings can serve as
a basis for an IRA contribution.

But it’s not all a one-way street; parents can in turn help their adult
children receive their own tax benefits in the following ways:

Roll over an inherited 401(k): A beneficiary of a 401(k) plan to roll over

the account into an IRA and stretch payouts (and the tax bill on them)
over his or her lifetime.
Help your adult children earn a credit for retirement savings: Parents
can help by giving an adult child (who cannot be claimed as a depen-
dent and who is not a full-time student) the money to fund retirement
account contributions. The child not only saves on taxes, but also
saves for his or her retirement.

Be the bank for your children: You can help them buy a house or start
a business interest free, under $10,000. You might be required to
charge interest over that amount.

Deduct interest paid by mom and dad: When parents make payments
on a child’s student loan, the child can claim a tax deduction for the in-
terest, as long as the parents can't claim him or her as a dependent,
even if he or she doesn't itemize.

Home Ownership

Although there appears to be a significant shift toward renting, with big

names in finance even suggesting to millennials to avoid home owner-
ship as a means of wealth production, there are some key benefits to
home ownership where taxes are concerned.

Homeowners may deduct both mortgage interest and property tax

payments as well as certain other expenses from their federal income
tax. Renters pay these expenses, too, in the cost of the rent, but
the landlord gets the tax write-off.

Homeowners may exclude, up to a limit, the capital gain they realize

from the sale of a home.

Home-equity debt of up to $100K can generally be deductible if the

loan was used to buy or improve your home.

Kiplinger adds the following benefits and strategies:

Use a tax-free exchange to acquire new property: By trading one

rental property for another, you can avoid the capital gains taxes you'd
incur if you sold the first property, leaving you with more to invest in
the second.

Use an installment sale of real estate to defer a tax bill: If the buyer
pays you in installments, the IRS will let you pay the tax bill on your
profit in installments, too. You must charge interest on the deal, and
each payment you receive will have three parts: interest (taxable at
your top rate), capital gain, and return of your investment (tax-free).

Convert a vacation home to your principal residence: The break that

allows homeowners to take profit from a home sale tax-free is re-
stricted to the sale of a primary residence. But you can extend the tax
break to cover part of the profit on a second home if you convert it to
your primary residence at least two years before you sell.

Take advantage of tax-free rental income: According to the Tax Policy

Center, “The main benefit is that the owners do not pay taxes on the
imputed rental income from their own homes.” If you live in an area
that hosts a special event, you can rent out your home tax-free on a
limited basis. A special provision in the law lets you rent a home for up
to 14 days a year without having to report a dime of the money you re-
ceive as income.

Pre-tax Retirement Accounts

Many retirement plans like 401(k)s and IRAs can be funded with pre-
tax dollars, and earnings grow tax-free. You won't pay taxes on those
funds until withdrawals at retirement. By contributing to these ac-
counts, you reduce your current tax burden while saving and investing
in a beneficial environment.

These types of accounts have deposit limits according to tax law. For
example, you can only contribute $5500 in pre-tax money per year to
an IRA if you're under fifty years old, and $6500/year if you're above
fifty. You are permitted to contribute up to $18,000/year ($24,000 if
older than 50) in pre-tax income to employer-driven plans like 401(k)s.
Contribute To Non-Profit Organizations/Organize Your Business
As A Non-Profit

As detailed recently on the Vin Armani Show by Dan Johnson, Execu-

tive Director of the Tax Revolution Institute, there is another interesting
legal way to reduce personal tax exposure while directly investing in
competition against the State. As Dan recounts, Arizona has become a
documented example of the effectiveness of a “Universal Tax Credit”
strategy.

In 1997, Arizona implemented the nation’s first charitable tax

credit, allowing taxpayers to redirect up to $200 of their tax bill to
non-profits that serve low-income Arizonans. In 2015, 116,000
Arizona taxpayers used the credit, sending $32.3 million to de-
serving non-profits…

Arizona’s charitable tax credit … became so popular that it was

increased to $400 last year.

By combining the political right’s desire for a direct reduction in taxes,

and the political left’s desire for providing more services, private non-
profit organizations give support to both sides. Moreover, the success
of Arizona’s program can be proven empirically, which all but guaran-
tees the proliferation of the idea from the local to the federal level. The
key is to get the word out and become involved building this concept.
Help support legislation for your state here.

SocialSafety.net is another vehicle being set up by Dan Johnson

which will offer a database of the 1.5 million non-profits already doing
a much better job of building communities than the federal government
ever could.

You can view this exceptional interview with Dan Johnson here.

Foreign Corporations
Much was made of the Panama Papers and those “dirty tax avoiders.”
However, it was interesting that one of the facts that had to be high-
lighted, even by the sitting president and the mainstream media, is
that having a foreign corporation is perfectly legal. Naturally, such a re-
ality was decried as an obvious need to close the perceived loopholes
but, for now, the instrument remains a bona fide one.

While mega corporations and celebrities are often the focus of these
mainstream accounts, it might be a good option for certain individuals.
If you're an Internet entrepreneur, for example, you have the option of
setting up your business anywhere.

There are many desirable territories for establishing a business to

shelter yourself from taxes. Yet this is not an easy or cheap undertak-
ing. Be careful of professed experts that one might find on the Internet,
and take great care in studying the location and type of corporation. It
is also important to note that if money is moved overseas – or any
type of income earned there – it can be subjected to substantial repa-
triation fees.

Renounce Citizenship

This is clearly the most extreme method, and certainly is a decision

that must be taken with utmost gravity. The fact that the benefits con-
ferred by one’s birthright should instead be perceived as a type of debt
sentence is a sad position to take. Nevertheless, year after year, more
people choose to give up their citizenship and their passport. The
State, of course, has taken notice of this trend and is making it in-
creasingly difficult to do so.

The U.S. government has increased the application cost for renuncia-
tion by orders of magnitude in recent years – from $450 to $2,350 –
making it the single highest cost in the entire world. Furthermore, there
are additional costs that can be incurred for higher net worth individu-
als who can be subject to a net capital gains tax. For others, fees will
be applied for any irregularities with the previous 5 years of filing, or
failure to file. Lastly, estate taxes and gift taxes can also incur penal-
ties.

Still, given all of the hurdles, American renunciation increased by 20%

in 2016 to record levels. Expert consultation is highly recommended
for those who wish to join the exodus, as the requirements and costs
continue to increase along with the numbers of those seeking to es-
cape the burden.

Private Family Foundations

When you read stories about “humanitarians” Bill Gates, Warren Buf-
fett and Mark Zuckerberg giving away all of their billions to charity,
what they don't tell you is that it's really a strategy to protect their
wealth from taxes. Private foundations are a tax-free environment to
hold and grow investments which still remain under your custodial
control. They also protect and pass assets to your heirs as seamlessly
as changing the trustees and board of directors.

Once you start a charitable family foundation, you are able to contrib-
ute the equivalent of 30% of your income to it each year. If you give
more in a single year, that donation can be carried over and claimed
on your taxes the following year. You can even transfer ownership of
your home into the trust and your full mortgage payment is now “tax
deductible” as a charitable contribution.

These charitable foundations do have rules. They require that you

spend 5% of the value of the holdings each year on charitable activi-
ties. This 5% can include management, rent and other administration
expenses, but should have a genuine element of charity. Other rules
like no “self-dealing” where your charity spends money at your for-
profit business and no support for politicians are also notable.

Setting up a charitable family trust is not as difficult or as expensive as

you may think. Watch an informative seminar on this topic here.